Unexpected
by Starling Sinclair
Summary: It started with a kiss, and ended up something unexpected. Caution: Contains bloody scenes.


AN: So, this is a little story that came quite unexpectedly to me. I wrote the first draft while weathering Hurricane Gustav just outside New Orleans. Then worked on revisions in the days that followed without power. However, typing it out has taken months, and two more revisions. (There are at least 5 revisions to this piece.) So, hope you enjoy and it's something a little unexpected for you too.

WARNING: THIS HAS A HIGH RATING BECAUSE OF GORE.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon.

Unexpected

It started with a kiss. Impulsive, contradictive, and wonderful. Chiba Mamoru kissed Tsukino Usagi.

It wasn't a long kiss, nor was it intense, so to speak. Many wouldn't consider it much of a kiss at all. It was a gentle brush of the lips, frantic and fluttering like a humming bird.

The kiss came and went, leaving Usagi and Mamoru staring at each other. Both were silent, but breathing heavily. Their lips slightly parted. Neither knew whether they should laugh, scream, question, or kiss again. Both so consumed by the moment, they failed to notice the approaching youma. Both missed the attack that caused the pavement beneath them to cave in and the façade of Furuhata Arcade to tumble, sealing them underground.

***

When Usagi came to, she gagged on the dust. She blinked the sediment from her eyes and examined her surroundings. Everything was grey and brown. A minimal amount of light seeped in through the holes in the debris above her head. She was on a cold stone floor, propped awkwardly against a large pile of debris. A broken piece of timber lay across her lap. Bits of bricks scattered the floor. Above her, she heard the sounds of battle: screams, feet, bell, and senshi spells.

The space she was in now was vaguely round and about seven meters in diameter.

She rolled her head to the side. Mamoru sat near her, covering his eyes. He was covered in dust and smudges, but appeared to be relatively unharmed.

"Where are we?" Usagi mumbled.

Mamoru jumped and sharply turned his head towards her. His eyes glistened with something she was unaccustomed to seeing, yet she couldn't quiet place it.

"From what I can tell, we appear to have landed in the basement storage room under the arcade," he informed her. Then he gave her his classic smirk. "It's where all the dry goods are kept."

"Oh good. At least we won't starve."

"How like you, Odango, thinking about your stomach at a time like this," Mamoru chided.

"Well, baka, at least I'm thinking about the long term problems," she cajoled. Then she asked in a more serious tone, "How long was I out?"

Mamoru shifted in place. "No more than five minutes or so. Are you okay?" he questioned sincerely.

"Yeah, I think I'm…ahhh…" Usagi finished with a moan. She'd tried to shift her weight when a searing pain went through her leg. She cringed and tried to feel what was wrong.

"Odango, are you okay?" Mamoru asked again.

Her left thigh was wet and sticky, and Usagi's stomach turned. She brought one of her hands up to her face. It was covered in something red and shiny. It vaguely reminded her of candy apple glaze. Fascinating stuff really.

Usagi tried to regulate her breathing. This wasn't the first time she'd seen blood. Being the Senshi of Love and Justice had seen to that.

"Odango?"

She turned her head towards him. "Yes, I'm just peachy, baka. That's why my hand is covered in blood," she remarked.

Mamoru moved surprisingly quickly to her side and began removing the debris covering her.

"I was being serious, Usagi," he said solemnly.

Well, she could see that now, thought it was a bit hard for her to swallow. Fifteen minutes ago they had been at each others' throats, arguing about silly lifestyle choices – hair, grades, green jackets, and such. Now they were buried beneath a youma battle, which seemed to be growing more and more distant with each passing moment.

Then she saw her leg. Mamoru was looking at it intently as well. Her skirt was hiked up to a practically indecent level, but that was the last thing on her mind. Her leg was oozing blood. There was something rough protruding from her leg as well. Something that resembled her femur.

"Oh gods, Mamoru, why can't I feel it?" she whispered.

"Shock," he answered. "The body's natural pain killer."

Usagi's hands began to shake. "Is that…is that…"

"Yes. You're leg is broken."

Usagi looked upward and bit her lip. A renegade tear slipped from each eye. She choked back the rest. This was worse than any senshi wound she'd had so far. And this time, a warm shrine and bandages were far away.

Mamoru cupped her face and tilted her head until she was eye to eye with him. His hands were soft and rested gently against her skin. But his eyes, they held that look.

It was that look. She felt dizzy. That look he always had in the heat of arguments. That look he had today when things had snowballed past "Odango Atama" and "baka" and ended in that unexpected thing. A kiss. She didn't know what it meant, but she knew it was important.

Time slowed down, and the time between seconds felt like hours while their eyes were locked. Then, he looked away. His hands fell to his side. Everything was back to normal, sort of.

"It's all going to be okay, Usagi. I can make this better, but you're going to have to trust me. I wouldn't do anything to harm you," he soothed. His voice had a new tone she'd never heard him use before. It reminded her of hot chocolate, warm, smooth, and rich.

She was still a little stunned. Sniffling, she closed her eyes. She would be brave.

"Okay," she began. "What do we do?"

Mamoru let out a deep breath. Looking up through his ebony hair, he gave her a quirky smile. Then he began explaining: "We need to stop the bleeding and in order to do that, I need to reset your leg. Do you understand?"

Usagi nodded and inhaled deeply. She had to be strong about this. She was a warrior of love and justice; she unflinchingly (well sort of) faced demons on a daily basis. A broken leg should be nothing compared to that.

Mamoru interrupted her mental monologue. "Can you take pills without water?"

Caught off guard, Usagi scowled. She hated medicine.

"I'll try," she whined.

He dug into the pocket of his jacked and pulled out a bottle of Tylenol. He shook the bottle as if it were a morocco. At least that's how Usagi was picturing it. Silly boy. She pursed her lips together to keep from smiling.

"What?"

"Is that your medical morocco?" she teased.

Mamoru smiled and poured four pills into his hand. He had no comeback for her save a smile. She noticed his hand was slightly shaking.

"This is some Tylenol. It'll help with the pain," he said, placing the pills in her hand like they were precious blue and red gemstones.

"You know, a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down," Usagi muttered to herself.

"I'll find you some after I set your let."

She swallowed the first pill and scowled. "Well then it would be pointless. I'll have already taken the medicine and won't need any help getting down."

Mamoru began shuffling through debris.

"You know, I was just kidding about the sugar," she said as she took the second pill. The saccharine coat started to dissolve before she could get the pill down. Cottonmouth was certainly setting in.

Mamoru was shifting through the debris until he picked up two pieces of lumber about the same size. He seemed satisfied and placed the wood beside her.

Usagi took the third pill, and the burning bitter of painkiller coated her mouth.

"Bleck! I don't think I can take this last one," she whined.

Mamoru picked up a small piece of wood no longer than six centimeters. "Come on, Odango," Mamoru chided inspecting it, "You can do it."

Usagi stuck her tongue out at him before taking the pill. She threw her head back in an elaborate, swallowing gesture. When she looked forward again, Mamoru was removing his shirt. She promptly chocked on the pill.

It's not that shirtless Mamoru was unattractive (quite the opposite, in fact), but she wasn't prepared. His chest was slightly paler than his arms. It was clearly toned, but he had just a little bit of softness around his belly, making him not like a body builder.

Curiosity crept in on little cat paws. "What are you doing, baka? Practicing for your after hours job?"

Mamoru gave her a sly look out the corner of his eye, then began ripping his shirt into strips.

"You need clean dressings," Mamoru stated as if it were the only reason he could possibly be taking off his shirt, "and the cleanest thing I could think of is my shirt since my jacket protected it from most of the dust."

"Oh, so that hideous green jacket finally served a purpose."

He rolled his eyes and began wrapping the small piece of wood with fabric. "You're being very brave about this."

She didn't know how to respond. She didn't like this new serious side that he kept showing her. Okay, maybe she did like it, but didn't know how to respond. Or what to do with it. The teasing was easy and safe, and never came with that look.

That damned look. If she didn't say something soon, she feared they'd have a repeat performance of what got them in this mess in the first place.

"Thank you," she managed to whisper.

It was gone again, and Mamoru seemed to have regained his wits. "Are you ready?" he asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she replied.

"Bite this," he said while indicated the small wrapped stick. Usagi nodded, and he placed the bit in her mouth.

"This is going to hurt," he warned.

She nodded, rolling her eyes before closing them. Of course it was going to hurt, baka. But, she would be brave. She would be brave…

Mamoru placed his hands on her leg, and she squeaked. She wasn't sure if it was from the sudden jolt of pain or the sudden jolt of electricity she always felt when he brushed her skin.

She bit down harder. She would be brave. She would be brave…

Her eyes flew open and she was pretty sure that the wood in her mouth splintered as he reset her leg. Good thing he thought about wrapping it in his shirt. But she did not scream. The pain of the reset was brief and uncomfortable like getting a shot, only 100 times worse. When it was all over, a dull throbbing set in, and she breathed heavily while her eyes drifted shut again.

"The worst is over," Mamoru reassured. "I just have to bandage the wound and splint your leg."

She opened her eyes again. Mamoru's body was speckled with blood and his arms were pretty coated. Her stomach churned with the realization it was her blood. He moved quickly and gently as he finished dressing the wound. Usagi's world was spinning, and she began breathing rapidly.

"Odango."

Sleep would be so easy right now. Not that it was ever particularly difficult.

"Odango, stay with me."

What did that baka want? Couldn't he see that a girl needs her rest after such an ordeal? He needed to stop calling her Odango as well.

"Usagi, you have to stay awake," he pleaded.

She looked up though hazy vision. Her eyes felt like they were being glued down, but she forced them open.

"Okay, okay," she reluctantly agreed. She saw her leg was wrapped with fragments of his shirt in the spot where the bone use to be. She swallowed back vomit. He used the rest of his shirt to tie the two pieces of wood to her leg in a crude splint.

Now he was making a pile of debris beside her. She looked at him, confused.

He must have been able to read her mind because he answered without a question. "We need to elevate your leg in order to reduce the blood flow."

He looked a mess. The blood attracted dirt like a black shirt does white cat hair. The ever-pristine Mamoru was now as dirty as they came. She smiled.

"Why are you doing all this for me?" she asked.

He walked over to her then lifted her under the arms and rotated her so that her feet faced the constructed debris pile.

"What do you mean? Can you prop yourself up for a moment?"

She leaned against her elbows. "I mean, why are you taking care of me?"

Mamoru lifted her injured leg, and she hissed. He placed it atop the pile.

"Of course I care about you, Odango," he said as if it were obvious. "I mean, we are friends aren't we?"

Avoiding her eyes, he picked up his discarded jacket and turned it inside out.

"I always thought you hated me," she whispered.

Mamoru chuckled. Smiling, he walked over to her and sat beside her. "Put your head in my lap," he softly commanded. She obliged, staring at him confused.

He began wiping her face off with the lining of his jacket. The lining was made of something silky, and the gesture seemed almost loving.

"I never hated you," he whispered. "It's just how I treat everyone I care for."

His lap was warm and secure. His voice reverberated in his chest making it deeper and musical, somehow. He breathed slightly erratically, and Usagi wasn't sure, but she thought she could hear his heartbeat.

"By teasing the crap out of them? Oh, no wonder you can't get a date."

He smiled sheepishly and blushed. "You really don't know, do you?"

She gave him a puzzled look and urged him on with her eyes. Though, he didn't look like he was going to explain. Time to continue poking.

She sighed. "You've never been so caring before. I didn't think you had a side like this."

"A side like what?"

"You know, a human side."

He laughed then looked away. A silence fell between them and the air was thick with something unsaid. Mamoru tried distracting himself with an attempt to wipe away some of her blood, but it was mostly dried. Resigned, he tossed his jacket away.

"Ah! Finally! That was something you should have done ages ago! Though I have to say, it came in handy today."

He lightly pinched her shoulder. "It's still my favorite jacket, Odango. That's why I have multiples."

"Oh lord, that's why you always look like a hobo with only one jacket. And we really have to get past this whole 'Odango' thing."

"You'll always be Odango to me," he said before leaning his head against the wall. One of his hands absently rested on her stomach while the other casually played with her hair.

Affectionate. What a weird adjective to describe Mamoru, but she kind of liked it. She smiled secretly to herself.

"Now what do we do, baka?"

"Wait."

Another silence fell between them. How boring. Her sleepiness and dizziness seemed more encompassing with the quite. Somehow, she knew that was bad. Maybe it was something Ami had said.

"But waiting is so boring."

"Mm-hmm."

"Can't we play a game or something?"

"Like what?" He quirked an eyebrow.

"I don't know. I'm going on a picnic and I'm bringing apples."

"What does it matter what I'm bringing? You're gonna eat it all anyway."

"Hey!" Usagi protested, and Mamoru smirked. The silence returned.

Mamoru didn't seem much like the conversationalist right now, but she knew what would get him talking.

"Mamoru, why did you kiss me?"

He turned cherry red and squirmed. Avoiding her eyes, he mumbled something.

"What did you say?" she pried.

Inhaling sharply, he looked her straight in the eyes. It was back. That look.

"Because I couldn't help it."

"What?" Whatever she thought he was going to say, that wasn't it. "Why?"

His breathing changed. "For the same reason I tease you," he said. He sighed and paused, "You really don't know?"

Usagi shook her head.

"Then I think you're the only one," he said.

"The only one what?"

Mamoru breathed deeply and closed his eyes. "The only one who doesn't know I have a crush on you."

She was shocked, and yet she wasn't. It made sense. Even seemed natural. But she didn't know what to say. And to think, she was the one who wanted to break the silence.

On one hand, he was worse than a little brother, and called her Odango. On the other, he was kind and caring, and even a tad heroic. Then there was the little fact he was smoking hot. And a pleasant kisser. She couldn't say good yet; that peck wasn't a good judge. However, she wouldn't be surprised if her were actually a very talented kisser if he broaden beyond pecks.

"Well, I liked it," she said. "The kiss, I mean." Now it was her turn to blush, if she hadn't lost so much blood that is.

"Then again, maybe I'm just saying that because I feel so light-headed," she covered.

Mamoru tensed. "You feel light-headed?"

"Uh, yeah?"

Marmoru shifted Usagi onto his lap, carefully moving her broken leg. His tension was making Usagi nervous.

He cursed. There was a small pool of blood where her leg had been.

"What's wrong?" she asked frantically.

He cursed again. "You're bleeding. A lot. I don't know if help will get here in time."

Usagi swallowed. "What do you mean?"

Mamoru caressed her cheek. His skin was just slightly rough, but that made it more sensual. She shivered. She wasn't sure if it was from fear or his touch

"It means," he took a deep breath, "unless I can stop the blood flow, there's a chance you'll bleed to death before help arrives."

"What?" It came out all breathy. He said everything was going to be all right. She started trembling.

He slid her off his lap so that her leg now rested there. He began unwrapping all the bandages.

"Usagi, can you keep a secret?" he asked solemnly. Very quickly his hands were recoated in blood. The bandage made a sickening sloshing sound as he let it drop to the cement floor.

"So I can take it to the grave with me?" she answered frantically. "Good time to start pouring your heart out to me, now that I'm DYING!" She struggled to hold back her tears.

Why was she so afraid? She had to look childish, especially since she faced life and death situations nearly daily. But those really didn't seem life and death. Everything was always all right afterwards. She couldn't keep the traitorous tears back anymore.

"Usagi, please! I'm being serious!" he pleaded.

"Yes, of course I can, baka! I thought you would know that about me."

He looked at her with searching, but vulnerable eyes. She breathed hoarsely and her bottom lip trembled. She waited.

With his hands hovering just above her oozing wound, he closed his eyes. A gold light started to glow from his palms, and her leg was sprinkled with golden sparks. They felt like electric butterfly kisses.

Then it was over. The light died like a star. Her leg felt tremendously better, and her hysteria subsided with the dizziness. Mamoru fell back against the wall and covered his eyes.

"That's why you don't have a scratch on you," she commented after a moment.

Mamoru smiled, but kept his eyes covered.

She didn't know what to say. A butterfly of a relationship had blossomed between them, and she didn't want to harm it. His ability drained him, Usagi observed. It left him open, in more ways than one.

"I couldn't fix the bone, but it's less severe. I left a gash to help explain the blood but the artery…"

She cut him off by throwing her arms around him and pulling herself closer. It hurt to move, but that was a small price to pay. She didn't quiet know how to express her gratitude. He'd saved her life. No one had ever done that for Usagi before. Tuxedo Kamen was only saving Sailor Moon, not Usagi.

She nuzzled his neck. He smelled of sweat and dust with a hint of roses. She felt his pulse quicken against her nose, and his neck tense.

She squeezed him tighter. "Thank you," she whispered in his ear, lips lightly brushing against him. He shivered.

He relaxed and returned the embrace awkwardly. She shifted and rested her forehead against his neck.

"How long have you been able to do that?" she asked.

He rested his head against hers. "Ever since I can remember."

"Is that why you want to be a doctor?"

"Never crossed my mind," he said. "How did you know I wanted to be a doctor?"

Usagi giggled and pulled away to look him in the eyes. "I listened closer than you thought when we fight."

That look was back. It wasn't as scary anymore. It was rather endearing. She smiled at him and was pretty sure she shared a similar look.

Then she kissed him. Impulsive, contradictive, and wonderful. Tsukino Usagi kissed Chiba Mamoru.

It wasn't a long kiss, nor was it intense, so to speak. It was enough to change everything. It confirmed that Usagi liked Mamoru, and vice versa. Neither was quite sure what to do with this new found knowledge.

So they did what they do best: ignore the subject.

"I really need to resplint your leg," he whispered.

"Oh," she responded, sliding off his lap. "Okay."

He re-bandaged her leg is silence, but it was no longer awkward. When he was done, she scooted back into his lap, much to Mamoru's surprise.

"So now what are going to do?" she asked innocently.

"I haven't heard sounds from the battle in a while, so maybe our rescuers will be here shortly…"

"I know!" she said excitedly. "We could play the picnic game! I'm going on a picnic and I'm bringing…"

He cut her off with a kiss. It was a little more daring, but still on the innocent side.

"I know, when we get out of here, let's go on a real picnic," she offered with a slight blush.

He smiled and leaned his forehead against hers. "Why, Odango, are you asking me on a date?"

She gently pushed him away and scowled.

He grabbed her hand and held it to his chest. "I would love to go on a picnic with you. And I'll tell you what, I'll bring some apples."

Usagi laughed. Her laughing turned into a yawn.

Mamoru pulled her close again. "Get some rest, Usa. I'll keep watch."

At first she opened her mouth to protest, but she realized she really was quite tired. Near death experiences can do that.

***

"Hello? Is anyone down there?" a distant voice called.

"Yes!" she heard Mamoru call through her fading sleepiness. "And she needs medical attention!"

There was a scuffling above their heads. Usagi rubbed her eyes.

"Are you all right, Odango?" he asked. She nodded and he awkwardly kissed her cheek.

"How many of you are there?" the voice asked again, closer this time.

"Just two! And I'm alright, but she has a broken leg," Mamoru called to the voice.

"Right then! I'm Nakamura Akira, deputy fireman, and we'll be there as soon as we can!"

"Finally, we're gonna get out of here!" Usagi exclaimed. She smiled broadly at Mamoru.

Mamoru weakly smiled back.

"What's wrong?" she asked, placing her hand on his cheek.

"Nothing, Odango. It's just…" She'd never seen him so speechless.

"It's just what?"

He had that look again, and this time it was mixed with fear. "It's just…are things going back to the way they were?"

"You baka," she said lightly punching him. "You owe me a picnic this Saturday. With apples."

The fear dissipated. "Wait, Odango, who said that was this Saturday? I don't know if my paycheck will be big enough to feed you."

A crash and flood of light interrupted their interlude. Fresh air washed away the smell of stale blood and the sun pushed the darkness away.

"Can you make it over here to lift you out?" Nakamura called.

Carefully Mamoru lifted Usagi and brought her over to the fireman. With a little effort, both were safely removed from the arcade basement. And shortly afterwards Usagi was bandaged up with a doctor's orders to stay off her leg for a little while. And shortly after that, Mamoru would wait with Usagi while her parents came to pick her up.

However, it looked like much more to the two observers in the background who dared not interrupt the scene.

"Will you look at that," Makoto said to Motoki. He glanced toward what she was pointing at.

Sitting peacefully in the back of the ambulance, Usagi and Mamoru were holding hands.

AN: Yes. It ended a little differently. I wanted to create something romantic but realistic. And working on my banter between them, and sensory details. I've been thinking about continuing this as the first chapter into my view of an epic first season romance between Usagi and Mamoru. What do you guys think? Of course, it will probably take me years to actually write it…I must finish check first.

As always, reviews are nice.


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